i'll be right beside you, dear
by komarue
Summary: Lucy hasn't been acting like herself lately, and Natsu is getting really worried. [NaLu]


I have never written NaLu. Please be merciful.

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><p>For months on end, Lucy had been distracted.<p>

It didn't matter if she was on a mission with Natsu and Happy, and it didn't matter if she was sitting in the dining hall, where Mirajane would note that she wasn't quite herself. Lucy would take one bite of her food, chew incredibly slowly, then smile and announce she was done. Natsu knew she didn't eat as much as him, obviously, but even for her, it was weird. Gray had told Natsu that sometimes, girls needed sweets. Something to do with endormophines being released somewhere in the head - Natsu hadn't really been listening. He tried to buy her desserts - cakes coated in chocolate syrup or cheesecakes or green tea ice cream - the kind that she likes - but she would always push the bowls and plates aside, saying she didn't want to get fat.

At least in that regard, she was still herself.

If _that_ didn't work, Natsu could only take matters into his own hands. When he told the rest of the guild he was going to cheer her up, they all but groaned and asked him not to make a ruckus. Because Natsu was a little older now, he understood things like romance a little better. He occasionally bought Lucy flowers, and left them on her doorstep. Or he waited in her bathtub and played one of the many records she had on Vinyl, setting a mood. She'd come home from a long day and see Natsu in her apartment, and while it used to bother her that he always found a way in, she had found a way to get used to it. These tricks would always work on her, and before Natsu knew it, he could see all her troubles written in the lines of her face, the curve of her pretty mouth, and even in the way she reached for his arm, stroking his guild mark.

_Everyone_ knew when Natsu got laid - he made the bed shake hard, after all. Word travelled pretty quickly, too.

Even with all the teasing, everyone in the guild was really hoping that Lucy would feel better soon. There was only one thing that made Lucy feel better when she was acting like this - a night under the stars, a few kilometers away from the guild. It was their spot for the first date, and even though Natsu liked to say that he didn't _like_ going there, he loved watching the way her eyes shone each time she looked up at the sky. It was a marvel to watch, and it was certainly something he would never grow tired of.

After a few jokes and a _lot_ of convincing, Erza agreed to babysit Happy while Natsu executed his plan. It was quiet that night when he strolled through town to Lucy's apartment. He greeted the townspeople hello - something that Lucy had taught him to do years ago - and before he knew it, he was standing at the bottom of her building. He looked up and saw that her bedroom lights were on, and her windows were closed. _Good_, he thought. It took him _ages_ to convince her that it wasn't safe for her to leave her windows open at night, even if it made her room less stuffy. He climbed up the steps and knocked, greeting Lucy's landlord with a salute and trotted up the stairs, careful not to make too much noise. The old hag was watching him from downstairs, after all.

He turned the knob and opened the door, only to find that Lucy's bed was perfectly made. He froze before entering the room cautiously, already thinking that someone had kidnapped her, and was holding her hostage. He turned his head to the right - where her desk was, and a wave of relief washed over him when he found her slumped over a stack of papers. He padded over to her and peered over her shoulder, and upon seeing what was written at the top of each paper, he rubbed the back of his neck.

_So_ that's _why she was upset_, he thought, remembering when she talked about having writers' block.

Gently, he pried her lithe hands from her work, and carefully wrapped them around his neck instead. He hooked one arm underneath her knees, and slowly lifted her, careful to keep her close to his body as he walked over to the bed. Her scent filled his nose - like sunshine, like lavender - and he pulled her closer. He always loved when she smelled like this - like Lucy. He came to the foot of the bed and was about to lay her down gently, when his foot caught on the straps of her backpack, sending the both of them flying onto the bed. He was careful not to crush her, and watched with wary eyes as she stirred awake, rubbing her eyes gently as she called his name.

"Yeah, I'm here," he whispered.

She moved her hands from her face and looked up at him. She didn't seem surprised or afraid. Not for the first time, Natsu felt his heart thump when she let out a small laugh. He leaned in closer and nuzzled her nose, a smile on his face.

"Was I sleeping?"

"Yeah. You were writing and I came here to check on you but you were asleep."

"Sorry about that."

"You should be," he said, "you had me worried for a really long time."

Lucy stared up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. Clearing his throat, Natsu moved to get off the bed, intending to give Lucy the sleep she needed. Before he could set his foot on the floor, Lucy tugged at his right arm, her fingers tracing his guild mark before she hooked her arm around his neck, slowly pulling him in. They were close enough that their lips were just brushing, and she whispered:

"Thank you, Natsu."

He nodded and smiled his wide grin - the one Lucy said she loved - and with that, he kissed the apples of her cheeks before moving to kiss her lips. Her hands rested on either side of his face and he nipped at her bottom lip, remembering everything he learned about her in the last couple of years - like how the thought of kissing him used to make her shake in her boots. As she sighed into his mouth, her cheeks already turning a flush pink, he ran his hand up her stomach, remembering - always remembering:

Wherever she ran to, he'd always follow.


End file.
